The described and claimed inventive concept(s) relate to water system management, and, more particularly, to a water piping system that is capable of identifying excess or unexpected water use, and then automatically isolating the system whereby property damage, e.g., from escaping water, and water loss are minimized.
Undetected water usage, e.g., water leaking from pipe joints and/or a broken pipe, or an improperly closed toilet valve, has long been an issue for building owners, especially during long periods of time when buildings remain unoccupied, or when homeowners may be on vacation. If a water leak or unexpected use goes undetected for an extended period, extensive property damage can result and substantial water loss can occur. Typically, excess water use and property damage is only discovered after the fact when a homeowner returns from vacation or an unusually high water/sewer bill is received.
One technique for detecting fluid loss in pressurized installations, including water piping, is to pressurize the installation and then isolate the installation while continuously monitoring the system pressure. A drop in pressure indicates a loss of fluid, and the reason for such loss can generally be found through inspection.
Existing technologies pertaining to water loss control and damage reduction from leaking water of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,231, U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,479 B2, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,900,647, for example, can be complicated and generally require relatively expensive equipment. Furthermore, the systems described in the foregoing patents employ normally closed isolation valves that not only stay closed during power outages, but also require bypassing steps to allow the use of water during the outages. For example, the systems described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,735,231 and 6,543,479 initiate opening of the normally closed valves by pressure drops in the water system, and only permit the valves to remain open for a predetermined period of time. When the predetermined time period expires, these systems return the isolation valves to a locked out, i.e., closed, condition. U.S. Pat. No. 7,900,647 B2 employs a switch at each expected use point in the system to establish whether the drop in system pressure is due to normal use. Each of these technologies requires a fairly sophisticated programmable controller or computer for continuous operation. Thus, there is a need for a simple and inexpensive means for detecting and controlling leaks in water and other fluid piping systems.